Exhaust air duct with adjustable filler panel assemblies

ABSTRACT

An adjustable filler panel assembly, configured for use in an electronic equipment enclosure, includes a first panel and a second panel, each adapted to block airflow. The first panel has pairs of horizontally aligned adjustment openings formed therein, and the second panel has a pair of horizontally aligned attachment members disposed near one end. The first and second panels are connected to one another in an overlapping arrangement to form an air-blocking panel assembly with the attachment members of the second panel being aligned with and connected to a pair of adjustment openings of the first panel. In addition, the first panel and the second panel are telescopically adjustable relative to one another such that a length of the air-blocking panel assembly is selectively adjustable to fill at least a portion of an opening in the electronic equipment enclosure, thereby blocking air from flowing through the opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a U.S. continuation patent application of,and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to, U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/123,453, filed May 19, 2008, which published as U.S. patentapplication publication no. U.S. 2008/0316702 A1 on Dec. 25, 2008, andissued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,839,635 on Nov. 23, 2010, and which '453application is a U.S. nonprovisional patent application of, and claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to, each of U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 60/938,701, filed May 17, 2007, and U.S.provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/939,048, filed May 18, 2007.Each of the foregoing patents, patent applications and patentapplication publications is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyrightprotection under the copyright laws of the United States and of othercountries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimilereproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure,as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records,but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of the Present Invention

The present invention generally relates to air flow management within anelectronic equipment enclosure, and in particular to, adjustable panelsthat enable selective directing of exhausted air within an electronicequipment enclosure.

2. Background

Racks, frames, cabinets and the like for supporting computer and otherelectronic equipment are well known. Such support apparatus are oftenpartially or fully enclosed, either directly through the use of doorsand panels mounted directly thereon, or indirectly by lining severalsuch apparatuses up in a row such that the sides of each rack areimmediately adjacent another rack.

As is also well known, the electronic equipment mounted therein tends togenerate large amounts of heat that need to be exhausted away from theequipment effectively in order to maintain the equipment in properoperating order or to prevent damage thereto. As equipment has becomemore densely packed with electronics, the quantities of heat havecontinued to increase in recent years. Heat management has thus become asignificant issue confronting today's rack, cabinet, frame and enclosuremanufacturers, the manufacturers of the electronic equipment, and theusers of such equipment.

Each piece of equipment is often enclosed within an individual chassisor housing that includes a location, typically referred to as an exhaustgrille, where air that has been circulated therethrough is exhausted.The heated air is frequently forced or forcibly drawn out of the variousactive pieces of equipment through exhaust grilles of the equipment byinternal fans, often supplemented by separate fans mounted in or on theenclosure 10. In many pieces of equipment, the exhaust grille is locatedon the rear of the equipment, and the equipment is often cooled bybringing cool air to the front of the equipment and exhausted throughthe rear, often through a door or through exhaust openings in a panel.Other equipment uses the opposite configuration, wherein cool air isbrought to the rear of the equipment and exhausted through the front;this may be handled generally similarly as the rear exhaust except thatthe front and rear of the cabinet are generally reversed.

However, other equipment is arranged to receive cold air from the sideand to exhaust heated air from the opposite side. For example, a commonpiece of electronic equipment in modern computer networks is a switch.Switches tend to generate a significant amount of heat, and thereforeare of particular concern in exhausting heat from an electronicequipment enclosure, and at least some are manufactured with inlets onone side and exhaust grilles on the other side. Such equipment requiresdifferent treatment than front/rear exhaust equipment.

Currently, in order to remove heated switch exhaust air from the side ofan electronic equipment enclosure, the switch exhaust grille is coupledwith or connected to an individual exhaust duct that is specificallydesigned and sized to fit the particular type of switch being used. Itis important that the switch grille and the exhaust duct inlet aresimilarly sized so that exhaust air is routed outside of the enclosurethrough the duct rather than being released into the interior of theenclosure where it would adversely affect the equipment stored therein.Because of the individual sizing, a different exhaust duct must be usedfor differently sized switches.

Such particularity in exhaust duct size and configuration is asignificant drawback in modern networked computer systems whereinswitches are often changed to update or change an existing system to anew system. One problem is the inefficiencies that are created by usingdifferent exhaust ducts for different switches. Another problem is theamount of time that it takes to change out a switch because the entireenclosure has to be dismantled to remove and change out the exhaust ductas well. Further, although much of the discussion herein focuses onswitches as an exemplary piece of equipment, it is to be understood thatsimilar problems exist with all heat generating electronic equipment. Inaddition, the amount and rate of air that may be exhausted from aparticular equipment chassis is limited by the size of the individualexhaust duct being used. Often the flow of exhausted air is impeded bythe volume of the exhaust duct thereby adversely affecting thetemperature of the equipment to which the duct is attached.

A versatile, adjustable solution that enables the use of a universalexhaust duct with multiple kinds and sizes of electronic equipmentchassis, and particularly multiple sizes of switch chassis, is needed.In addition, a solution that allows for the use of a relatively largervolume exhaust duct is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Broadly defined, the present invention according to one aspect is anadjustable filler panel assembly for use in an electronic equipmentenclosure that includes a first panel, adapted to block airflow, havinga plurality of pairs of horizontally aligned adjustment openings formedtherein; and a second panel, adapted to block airflow, having at leastone pair of horizontally aligned attachment members disposed near an endof the panel. The first and second panels may be connected to oneanother in an overlapping arrangement to form an air-blocking panelassembly with the attachment members of the second panel being alignedwith and connected to a pair of adjustment openings of the first panel.The first panel and the second panel are telescopically adjustablerelative to one another using the adjustment openings of the first panelsuch that a length of the air-blocking panel assembly is selectivelyadjustable to fill at least a portion of an opening in the electronicequipment enclosure, thereby blocking air from flowing through theopening.

In features of this aspect, the second panel may have a single pair ofhorizontally aligned attachment members disposed near an end of thepanel; the adjustable filler panel assembly may further comprise a pairof side flanges connected to each of the first and second panels, theside flanges further including at least one pair of elongate slots; thepair of side flanges of the first panel may include more than one pairof elongate slots; the adjustable filler panel assembly may furthercomprise an end flange connected to each of the first and second panels;the orientation of the first and second panels in relation to oneanother may be altered in order to facilitate vertical adjustment of theassembly; the first and second panels may be reconfigurable from aclose-ended configuration to an open-ended configuration; the first andsecond panels may be reconfigurable by rotating one panel 180 degreesrelative to the other panel; and the plurality of pairs of horizontallyaligned adjustment openings in the first panel may be separatedvertically by one RMU.

The present invention according to another aspect is an exhaust ductconfigured to be mounted in an electronic equipment enclosure thatincludes a box-like structure having an inner side wall and an outerside wall and further having a front, a rear, a top and a bottom, atleast some of which are defined by walls of the box-like structure; anair inlet opening arranged in the inner side wall for receipt of exhaustair from equipment mounted in an enclosure when the exhaust duct ismounted therein; and at least one adjustable filler panel assembly. Eachof the at least one adjustable filler panel assemblies is attachable tothe inner side wall in any of a plurality of mounting locations, forselectively blocking a portion of the air inlet opening in order toprohibit air exhausted into the duct from flowing back into theenclosure when the exhaust duct is mounted therein.

In features of this aspect, the plurality of mounting locations, inwhich each of the adjustable filler panel assemblies may be attached,may be distributed vertically along the air inlet opening of the exhaustduct; each adjustable filler panel assembly may include a first paneland a second panel that are telescopically adjustable relative to oneanother such that a length of the filler panel assembly is selectivelyadjustable to fill a portion of the air inlet opening, thereby blockingair from flowing through the opening; the air inlet opening may begenerally rectangular in shape; the air inlet opening may include a pairof vertical flanges to which each of the at least one adjustable fillerpanel assembly is adjustably mounted; the vertical flanges may eachinclude a linear arrangement of mounting apertures to which the at leastone adjustable filler panel assembly is adjustably mounted, eachseparated from the next by ½ RMU; the vertical flanges may each includea linear arrangement of mounting apertures to which the at least oneadjustable filler panel assembly is adjustably mounted, each separatedfrom the next by one RMU; the internal exhaust duct may be configured tobe positioned between a frame structure of the enclosure and anexpansion kit panel of the enclosure; the internal exhaust duct may beconfigured to be positioned inside a frame structure of the enclosure;the internal exhaust duct may include a top wall, a bottom wall and afront wall, and may further include a rear air outlet opening throughwhich exhaust air is routed; the internal exhaust duct may include a topwall, a bottom wall and a rear wall, and may further include a front airoutlet opening through which exhaust air is routed; the internal exhaustduct may include a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall and a rearwall, and wherein the top wall may define an air outlet opening throughwhich exhaust air is routed; the internal exhaust duct may include a topwall, a bottom wall, a front wall and a rear wall, and wherein thebottom wall may define an air outlet opening through which exhaust airis routed; and the first and second panels may be adjustable relative toeach other in one RMU increments.

The present invention according to another aspect is an exhaust ductconfigured to be mounted in an electronic equipment enclosure thatincludes a box-like structure having an inner side wall, an outer sidewall, a front wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the inner side wallincluding a pair of vertical side flanges. The exhaust duct furtherincludes an air inlet opening, defined in the inner side wall by thevertical side flanges, for receipt of exhaust air from equipment mountedin an enclosure when the exhaust duct is mounted therein; an air outletopening defined at the rear of the box-like structure; and a pluralityof adjustable filler panel assemblies. Each adjustable filler panelassembly is attachable to the vertical side flanges of the inner sidewall in any of a plurality of mounting locations, each includes a firstpanel and a second panel arranged in overlapping relationship, and eachis vertically adjustable, for selectively blocking a portion of the airinlet opening in order to prohibit air exhausted into the duct fromflowing back into an electronic equipment enclosure when the exhaustduct is mounted therein.

In features of this aspect, the plurality of adjustable filler panelassemblies may include at least one adjustable filler panel assembly ofa first size and at least one adjustable filler panel assembly of asecond size, thereby providing a custom-fit exhaust opening for aparticular piece of equipment so that exhaust air from the equipmentdoes not flow back into the enclosure after entering the exhaust duct.

The present invention according to another aspect is an electronicequipment enclosure that includes a frame structure; one or moreenclosure panels mounted on the frame structure, the frame structure andthe one or more enclosure panels together defining an enclosure; anexhaust duct which is substantially the same height as the enclosure andhas an air inlet opening formed therein for receipt of exhaust air fromequipment mounted in the enclosure; and at least one adjustable fillerpanel assembly for selectively blocking a portion of the air inletopening in order to prohibit air exhausted into the duct from flowingback into the enclosure.

In features of this aspect, the exhaust duct may be disposed internallyrelative to the one or more enclosure panels; the adjustable fillerpanel assembly may include a first panel and a second panel that aretelescopically adjustable relative to one another such that a length ofthe filler panel assembly is selectively adjustable to fill a portion ofthe air inlet opening, thereby blocking air from flowing through theopening; the internal exhaust duct may be generally box-like in shapeand may include an air outlet opening; the air inlet opening may begenerally rectangular in shape; the air inlet opening may include a pairof vertical flanges to which the at least one adjustable filler panelassembly is adjustably mounted; the vertical flanges may each include alinear arrangement of mounting apertures to which the at least oneadjustable filler panel assembly is adjustably mounted, each separatedfrom the next by ½ RMU; the vertical flanges may each include a lineararrangement of mounting apertures to which the at least one adjustablefiller panel assembly is adjustably mounted, each separated from thenext by one RMU; the internal exhaust duct may be disposed between theframe structure of the enclosure and an expansion kit panel of theenclosure; the internal exhaust duct may be disposed inside the framestructure of the enclosure; the internal exhaust duct may route exhaustair to the rear of the enclosure and through the air outlet opening; thefirst and second panels of each adjustable filler panel assembly may beconnected to one another in an overlapping arrangement to form anair-blocking panel assembly with the attachment members of the secondpanel being aligned with and connected to a pair of adjustment openingsof the first panel; the first panel may have a plurality of pairs ofhorizontally aligned adjustment openings formed therein, and the secondpanel may have at least one pair of horizontally aligned attachmentmembers disposed near an end of the panel; the second panel may have asingle pair of horizontally aligned attachment members disposed near anend of the panel; the plurality of pairs of horizontally alignedadjustment openings in the first panel may be separated vertically byone RMU; the adjustable filler panel assembly may further include a pairof side flanges connected to each of the first and second panels, theside flanges further including at least one pair of elongate slots; thepair of side flanges of the first panel may include more than one pairof elongate slots; the electronic equipment enclosure may furtherinclude a flange at one end of each of the first and second panels; theorientation of the first and second panels in relation to one anothermay be altered in order to facilitate vertical adjustment of theassembly; each adjustable filler panel assembly may be reconfigurablefrom a close-ended configuration to an open-ended configuration; and thefirst and second panels may be reconfigurable between the close-endedconfiguration and the open-ended configuration by rotating one panel 180degrees relative to the other panel.

The present invention according to another aspect is an electronicequipment enclosure that includes a frame structure; one or moreenclosure panels mounted on the frame structure, the frame structure andthe one or more enclosure panels together defining an enclosure; anexhaust duct, disposed internally relative to the one or more enclosurepanels, that has an air inlet opening formed therein for receipt ofexhaust air from equipment mounted in the enclosure; and at least oneadjustable filler panel assembly for selectively blocking a portion ofthe air inlet opening in order to prohibit air exhausted into the ductfrom flowing back into the enclosure.

In features of this aspect, the internal exhaust duct may besubstantially the same height as the enclosure.

The present invention according to another aspect is a method ofcustomizing air flow in an electronic equipment enclosure that includesproviding a frame structure having one or more enclosure panels mountedthereon, the one or more enclosure panels together defining anenclosure; installing an exhaust duct in the enclosure, the exhaust ducthaving an air inlet opening formed therein for receipt of exhaust airfrom equipment mounted in the enclosure; and installing an adjustablefiller panel assembly in the enclosure to selectively block a portion ofthe air inlet opening.

In features of this aspect, the step of installing an adjustable fillerpanel assembly may include installing the adjustable filler panelassembly in the vicinity of an exhaust grille on a side of a piece ofelectronic equipment mounted in the electronic equipment enclosurewithout blocking the exhaust grille, thereby encouraging air flow fromthe exhaust grille through an exhaust opening partially defined by theadjustable air filler assembly in the air inlet opening.

The present invention according to another aspect is an electronicequipment enclosure that includes a frame structure; one or moreenclosure panels mounted on the frame structure, the frame structure andthe one or more enclosure panels together defining an enclosure; anexhaust duct which is substantially the same height as the enclosure andhas an air inlet opening formed therein for receipt of exhaust air fromequipment mounted in the enclosure; and a plurality of adjustable fillerpanel assemblies for selectively blocking portions of the air inletopening in order to create a custom-fit air inlet opening for aparticular piece of equipment so that exhaust air from the equipmentdoes not flow back into the enclosure after entering the exhaust duct.

In features of this aspect, the exhaust duct may be disposed internallyrelative to the one or more enclosure panels; the adjustable fillerpanel assembly may include a first panel and a second panel that aretelescopically adjustable relative to one another such that a length ofthe filler panel assembly is selectively adjustable to fill a portion ofthe air inlet opening, thereby blocking air from flowing through theopening; the internal exhaust duct may be generally box-like in shapeand may include an air outlet opening; the air inlet opening may begenerally rectangular in shape; the air inlet opening may include a pairof vertical flanges to which the at least one adjustable filler panelassembly is adjustably mounted; the vertical flanges may each include alinear arrangement of mounting apertures to which the at least oneadjustable filler panel assembly is adjustably mounted, each separatedfrom the next by ½ RMU; the vertical flanges may each include a lineararrangement of mounting apertures to which the at least one adjustablefiller panel assembly is adjustably mounted, each separated from thenext by one RMU; the internal exhaust duct may be disposed between theframe structure of the enclosure and an expansion kit panel of theenclosure; the internal exhaust duct may be disposed inside the framestructure of the enclosure; the internal exhaust duct may route exhaustair to the rear of the enclosure and through the air outlet opening; thefirst and second panels of each adjustable filler panel assembly may beconnected to one another in an overlapping arrangement to form anair-blocking panel assembly with the attachment members of the secondpanel being aligned with and connected to a pair of adjustment openingsof the first panel; the first panel may have a plurality of pairs ofhorizontally aligned adjustment openings formed therein, and the secondpanel may have at least one pair of horizontally aligned attachmentmembers disposed near an end of the panel; the second panel may have asingle pair of horizontally aligned attachment members disposed near anend of the panel; the plurality of pairs of horizontally alignedadjustment openings in the first panel may be separated vertically byone RMU; the adjustable filler panel assembly may further include a pairof side flanges connected to each of the first and second panels, theside flanges further including at least one pair of elongate slots; thepair of side flanges of the first panel may include more than one pairof elongate slots; the electronic equipment enclosure may furtherinclude a flange at one end of each of the first and second panels; theorientation of the first and second panels in relation to one anothermay be altered in order to facilitate vertical adjustment of theassembly; each adjustable filler panel assembly may be reconfigurablefrom a close-ended configuration to an open-ended configuration; and thefirst and second panels may be reconfigurable between the close-endedconfiguration and the open-ended configuration by rotating one panel 180degrees relative to the other panel.

The present invention according to still another aspect is an electronicequipment enclosure that includes a frame structure; one or moreenclosure panels mounted on the frame structure, the frame structure andthe one or more enclosure panels together defining an enclosure; anexhaust duct, disposed internally relative to the one or more enclosurepanels, that has an air inlet opening formed therein for receipt ofexhaust air from equipment mounted in the enclosure; and a plurality ofadjustable filler panel assemblies for selectively blocking portions ofthe air inlet opening in order to create a custom-fit air inlet openingfor a particular piece of equipment so that exhaust air from theequipment does not flow back into the enclosure after entering theexhaust duct.

In features of this aspect, the internal exhaust duct is substantiallythe same height as the enclosure, and the plurality of adjustable fillerpanel assemblies may be of different sizes.

The present invention according to still yet another aspect is a methodof customizing air flow in an electronic equipment enclosure thatincludes providing a frame structure having one or more enclosure panelsmounted thereon, the one or more enclosure panels together defining anenclosure; installing an exhaust duct in the enclosure, the exhaust ducthaving an air inlet opening formed therein for receipt of exhaust airfrom equipment mounted in the enclosure; and installing a plurality ofadjustable filler panel assemblies in the enclosure to selectively blockportions of the air inlet opening.

In features of this aspect, the step of installing a plurality ofadjustable filler panel assemblies may include installing the adjustablefiller panel assemblies in the vicinity of an exhaust grille on a sideof a piece of electronic equipment mounted in the electronic equipmentenclosure without blocking the exhaust grille, thereby creating acustom-fit air inlet opening for a particular piece of equipment so thatexhaust air from the equipment does not flow back into the enclosureafter entering the exhaust duct.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description withreference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front orthogonal view of an electronic equipment enclosurehaving an internal exhaust duct and a plurality of adjustable fillerpanel assemblies installed therein, all in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front orthogonal view of the electronic equipment enclosureof FIG. 1, shown with the adjustable filler panel assemblies removed;

FIG. 3A is a front orthogonal view of the electronic equipment enclosureof FIG. 1, shown with the doors and panels removed, illustrating theplurality of adjustable filler panel assemblies installed therein;

FIG. 3B is a front plan view of the electronic equipment enclosure ofFIG. 3A;

FIG. 3C is a right side plan view of the electronic equipment enclosureof FIG. 3A;

FIG. 3D is a back plan view of the electronic equipment enclosure ofFIG. 3A;

FIG. 3E is a top plan view of the electronic equipment enclosure of FIG.3A;

FIG. 3F is a left side plan view of the electronic equipment enclosureof FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a front orthogonal view of the internal exhaust duct of FIG.3A, shown with the lowermost filler panel assembly removed;

FIG. 4B is a front orthogonal view of the internal exhaust duct of FIG.4A, shown with all of the adjustable filler panel assemblies removed;

FIG. 4C is a top plan view of the internal exhaust duct of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is a side orthogonal view of an embodiment of one of theadjustable filler panel assemblies of FIG. 3A, shown in a close-endedconfiguration;

FIG. 5B is a side orthogonal view of the adjustable filler panelassembly of FIG. 5A in an open-ended configuration;

FIG. 6A is a side orthogonal view of an alternative embodiment ofanother of the adjustable filler panel assemblies of FIG. 3A, shown in aclose-ended configuration;

FIG. 6B is a side orthogonal view of the adjustable filler panelassembly of FIG. 6A in an open-ended configuration;

FIG. 7A is a side orthogonal view of another alternative embodiment ofstill another of the adjustable filler panel assemblies of FIG. 3A,shown in a close-ended configuration;

FIG. 7B is a side orthogonal view of the adjustable filler panelassembly of FIG. 7A, shown in an open-ended configuration;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, partially exploded orthogonal view of an upperportion of the electronic equipment enclosure of FIG. 3A, illustratingthe installation of a pair of vertical rubber seals;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, partially exploded orthogonal view of a lowerportion of the electronic equipment enclosure of FIG. 3A, illustratingthe installation of the lowermost adjustable filler panel assembly;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, partially exploded orthogonal view of a lowerportion of the electronic equipment enclosure of FIG. 3A, illustratingthe installation of another adjustable filler panel assembly; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary, partially exploded orthogonal view of a lowerportion of the electronic equipment enclosure of FIG. 3A, illustratingthe installation of a pair of horizontal rubber seals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one havingordinary skill in the relevant art (“Ordinary Artisan”) that the presentinvention has broad utility and application. Furthermore, any embodimentdiscussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be partof a best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention.Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrativepurposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the presentinvention. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations,modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosedby the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of thepresent invention.

Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detailin relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that thisdisclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, andis made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enablingdisclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein ofone or more embodiments is not intended, nor is it to be construed, tolimit the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention,which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof.It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded thepresent invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitationfound herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.

Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps ofvarious processes or methods that are described herein are illustrativeand not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, althoughsteps of various processes or methods may be shown and described asbeing in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processesor methods are not limited to being carried out in any particularsequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps insuch processes or methods generally may be carried out in variousdifferent sequences and orders while still falling within the scope ofthe present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope ofpatent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by theappended claims rather than the description set forth herein.

Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refersto that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to meanbased on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that themeaning of a term used herein—as understood by the Ordinary Artisanbased on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from anyparticular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that themeaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan shouldprevail.

Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an”each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a pluralityunless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to “apicnic basket having an apple” describes “a picnic basket having atleast one apple” as well as “a picnic basket having apples.” Incontrast, reference to “a picnic basket having a single apple” describes“a picnic basket having only one apple.”

When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one ofthe items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus,reference to “a picnic basket having cheese or crackers” describes “apicnic basket having cheese without crackers”, “a picnic basket havingcrackers without cheese”, and “a picnic basket having both cheese andcrackers.” Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and”denotes “all of the items of the list.” Thus, reference to “a picnicbasket having cheese and crackers” describes “a picnic basket havingcheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers,” as well asdescribes “a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basketfurther has cheese.”

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent likecomponents throughout the several views, the preferred embodiments ofthe present invention are next described. The following description ofthe preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in noway intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

FIG. 1 is a front orthogonal view of an electronic equipment enclosure10 having an internal plenum or exhaust duct 12 and a plurality ofadjustable filler panel assemblies 14 installed therein, all inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is afront orthogonal view of the electronic equipment enclosure 10 of FIG.1, shown with the right side panel 6 removed. As shown therein, theenclosure 10 includes an interior four post frame structure 16 and anenclosure expansion kit, which may include a plurality of offsetbrackets 18, one or more center support brackets 19, an oversized frontdoor 2, an oversized back panel 4, a pair of oversized side panels 6 anda top panel extension panel 8. An example of a complete enclosureexpansion kit is shown and described in commonly-assigned U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/837,537, published as US08/0035810 and entitled“OFFSET BRACKETS FOR EXPANDING ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT CABINETS,” theentirety of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. In theembodiment shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/837,537, theback panel includes a pair of hinged doors, but it will be appreciatedthat a single door, a single (non-door) panel, or the like may besubstituted for the pair of hinged doors shown in such application, andfurther that each door or panel may be solid (non-perforated) or mayinclude perforations or some other means of releasing exhaust air fromthe enclosure 10. In this regard, it is apparent that variousreplacement components may be substituted for the components of theexpansion kit, without departing from the scope of the invention, solong as the general approach of expanding the interior volume of a fourpost frame structure 16 with some sort of brackets is utilized.Alternatively, the enclosure may be a traditional enclosure (not shown)in which the various panels, including front and/or rear doors panels,are disposed directly adjacent the frame structure instead of beingsupported by offset support brackets 18.

Although some of the brackets shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/837,537 are not the same as those shown in the present invention, itwill be appreciated that any such bracket may be utilized withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, theconcept of an expanded equipment enclosure is aptly shown therein andthe Ordinary Artisan will understand how an expansion kit with thebrackets 18 shown herein would work. In summary, eight offset brackets18 are attached to the four post frame structure 16 for mounting ofpanels associated with the expansion kit. In the present invention, thebrackets 18 are designed so as not to intrude into the spaces created inthe sides of the enclosure 10 between the four post frame structure 16and the panels of the expansion kit. As will be described more fullybelow, the spaces in the sides of the enclosure 10 between the four postframe structure 16 and the side panels of the expansion kit may befilled by internal exhaust ducts 12, an example of which is shown on theleft side of the enclosure 10 in FIGS. 3A-3F.

FIGS. 3A-3F are various views of the electronic equipment enclosure 10of FIG. 1, shown with the doors and panels removed, illustrating theplurality of adjustable filler panel assemblies 14 installed therein.The interior four post frame structure 16 may be of conventional designand construction, such as that shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/837,537, and in fact the present invention is perhaps most applicableto, and useful with, conventional four post frame structures. As shownand described, the four post frame structure 16 includes four verticalmembers 20, upper and lower front cross members 22,23 upper and lowerrear cross members 24,25, a pair of upper side cross members 26 and apair of lower side cross members 28. A plurality of cross memberattachment apertures are arranged at each end of each vertical member20. Two of the vertical members 20 are connected together at their upperand lower ends by the upper and lower front cross members 22,23,respectively, and the other two vertical members 20 are connectedtogether at their upper and lower ends by the upper and lower rear crossmembers 24,25, respectively. The front cross members 22,23 and theirrespective vertical members 20 thus define a front frame 30, and therear cross members 24,25 and their respective vertical members 20 definea rear frame 32. The front and rear frames 30,32 may then be connectedtogether at their respective corners by the upper and lower side crossmembers 26,28.

Any known connection means may be used to join the various memberstogether. Although not illustrated herein, at least one example ofconventional connection means is described in commonly-assigned U.S.Pat. No. 6,185,098, entitled “CO-LOCATION SERVER CABINET,” the entiretyof which is incorporated herein by reference. Although likewise notillustrated herein, the precision and the stability of each of thecorners of at least some types of four post frame structures may beenhanced by utilizing a self-squaring corner attachment bracket such asthat disclosed by the commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,117 entitled“RACK FRAME CABINET,” the entirety of which is hereby incorporated byreference.

A four post frame structure 16 may further comprise horizontal mountingrails with each horizontal mounting rail including two rows of mountingapertures extending along its entire length. Optionally, verticalmounting rails (not shown) may be mounted to the horizontal mountingrails. Each vertical mounting rail preferably includes a series ofevenly-spaced, threaded mounting apertures, extending alongsubstantially its entire length, for use in mounting electroniccomponents and equipment, peripheral devices, cable brackets, additionalmounting members, or the like thereto.

The internal exhaust duct 12 is disposed between a side of the four postframe structure 16 and a side panel 6 of the expansion kit. The internalexhaust duct 12 may be positioned on either the left or right side ofthe enclosure 10, depending on the side of the enclosure 10 throughwhich it is desired for exhaust air to be removed. Based on theplacement of the internal exhaust duct 12, one of ordinary skill in theart will understand that the internal exhaust duct 12 and adjustablepanel assemblies 14 as described herein are perhaps most useful whenused in conjunction with equipment through which air flows in a side toside direction, i.e., cool air intake on one side and exhaust airrelease on the other side, rather than equipment through which air flowsin a front to back direction. However, it will be appreciated thatsimilar adjustable panel assemblies may likewise be utilized with airducts that are located in the front or rear of an enclosure as wellwithout departing from the scope of the present invention. As shown inFIGS. 3A-3F, the duct 12 extends along the full height of the enclosure10. However, in at least some embodiments, the duct 12 may extend only aportion of the height of the enclosure 10.

As is shown, a rear portion of the exhaust duct 12, having a rearopening 34 extends beyond the rear frame 32 of the four post framestructure 16. The rear opening 34 in the rear portion enables exhaustair to flow therethrough. Although not shown, the rear portion may abutthe back panel 4 of the enclosure expansion kit; thus, exhaust air mayflow through the rear opening 34 of the exhaust duct 12 and out throughor past the back panel 4 of the enclosure 10. In at least someembodiments, exhaust air may flow through the rear opening 34 and outthrough perforations (not shown) in the back panel 4. Additionally, therear opening 34 of the exhaust duct 12 may be located at any point alongthe height of the duct 12 or the rear opening 34 may open at the top orbottom of the duct 12.

The exhaust duct 12 also includes a generally rectangular shaped inletopening 36 (perhaps most fully appreciated in FIG. 4B) into the interior38 of the enclosure 10 that is preferably located near the front frame30 of the enclosure 10 and extends substantially the entire heightthereof. However, in at least some embodiments, the inlet opening 36 islocated near the rear frame 32, while in at least some otherembodiments, the inlet opening 36 is centered between the front frame 30and the rear frame 32. Also, in at least some embodiments, the inletopening 36 extends only a portion of the height of the enclosure 10. Aswill be explained more fully below, exhaust air from equipment stored inthe enclosure 10 is routed into the inlet opening 36 of the duct 12 andis then routed out of the enclosure 10 through the rear opening 34 ofthe duct 12.

As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 3A and 3C, one or more adjustable fillerpanel assemblies 14 may be disposed as desired in the inlet opening 36of the internal exhaust duct 12. In the particular arrangementillustrated, four adjustable filler panel assemblies 14 are disposed inthe inlet opening 36. It will be appreciated that the four illustratedpanel assemblies 14 are merely exemplary of the various combinations ofpanel assemblies 14 that could be used in the inlet opening 36 of theexhaust duct 12. The filler panel assemblies 14 selectively close offportions of the inlet opening 36 of the internal exhaust duct 12 andcreate a barrier between the exhaust duct 12 and the interior 38 of theenclosure 10 so that air passing from equipment mounted in the enclosure10 through exhaust openings 40 into the exhaust duct 12 does not returnfrom the exhaust duct 12 back into the interior 38 of the enclosure 10.For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A-3F, an exhaust opening40 is left between the lowermost filler panel assembly 14 and the nexthigher filler panel assembly 14. This opening 40 is utilized to releaseair exhausted by equipment stored in the enclosure 10 into the exhaustduct 12. More particularly, the opening 40 that is formed in the exhaustduct inlet 36 may be aligned with the exhaust grilles of one or moreparticular pieces of equipment so that air exhausted by the equipment isrouted into and through the exhaust duct 12 and out the rear of theenclosure 10. Through proper sizing and alignment of one or more fillerpanel assemblies 14, further described hereinbelow, the exhaust opening40 may be sized and aligned appropriately to fit the exhaust grille orgrilles of the particular piece or pieces of equipment to avoid airexhausted by the equipment escaping into the interior 38 of theenclosure 10 and adding undesirable heat to the enclosure 10.Furthermore, as further described hereinbelow, it is preferred that theinlet opening 36 of the duct 12 and edges of the filler panel assembly14 that are in contact with active equipment be fitted with a compliantsealing material such as a rubber seal 57, perhaps best shown in FIGS.8-11, to minimize air leakage into the interior 38 of the enclosure 10.

As described previously, network switches tend to generate a largeamount of heat and therefore are often of particular concern whenconsidering thermal management of an enclosure. However, it will beappreciated by the Ordinary Artisan that the present invention islikewise applicable to a wide variety of other types of equipment.

It will further be appreciated that because of the adjustable nature ofthe filler panel assemblies 14, the placement and sizing of each exhaustopening 40 is also adjustable. Each opening 40 may be made larger orsmaller depending, for example, on the size of the exhaust grille orgrilles of the particular piece or pieces of equipment, and it may becreated higher or lower in the enclosure 10 depending on the placementof the particular piece or pieces of equipment from which air is beingexhausted. Additionally, although not shown, multiple exhaust openings40 may be created for multiple pieces of equipment. In essence, theadjustable filler panel assembly 14 enables the exhaust duct 12 to becustom fit to the particular piece or pieces of equipment.

FIGS. 4A-4C are various views of the internal exhaust duct 12 of FIG.3A, except that the lowermost filler panel assembly has been removed.The exhaust duct 12 is somewhat box-like in shape having opposing inner42 and outer side walls 44, opposing top and bottom walls 46,48, and afront side wall 50. As explained above, the rear portion opening 34enables exhausted air to flow therethrough to the rear of the enclosure10. Each of the walls may include one or more panels. The outer sidewall 44 is preferably a continuous or solid panel, however, the innerside wall 42 is bifurcated, with a first portion extending from theinlet opening 36 to the rear vertical member 20 and a second portion,inset from the first portion as perhaps best shown in FIG. 4C, extendingfrom the rear vertical member 20 to the rear of the exhaust duct 12.Together, the first and second wall portions define an additionalopening 52 for receipt of a vertical member 20 of the frame structure 16of the enclosure 10. The inner and outer side walls 42,44 may be held inplace relative to each other by one or more spacers 43. When the exhaustduct 12 is installed in an enclosure 10, the front wall 50 is orientedtoward the front of the enclosure 10, the outer side wall 44 is orientedtoward one of the side panels 6 of the expansion kit, and the innerpanel 42 is oriented toward the interior 38 of the enclosure 10 so thatthe inlet opening 36 may be aligned with the exhaust grille or grillesof equipment mounted in the enclosure 10.

The exhaust duct 12 thus forms a substantially enclosed structure withthe exception of the rear portion opening 34, the inlet opening 36 andpreferably the frame structure opening 52. However, the frame structureopening 52 is enclosed and sealed by the frame structure 16 when theexhaust duct 12 is installed in the enclosure 10, and much of the inletopening 36 is closed by the plurality of adjustable filler panelassemblies 14. As such, air that flows into the exhaust duct 12 throughthe exhaust openings 40 formed in the inlet opening 36 is directed outthe rear opening 34 of the exhaust duct 12 to the rear of the enclosure10 where it is exhausted out of the enclosure 10.

The bifurcation of the inner side wall 42 may assist in the installationof the internal air duct 12 within the enclosure 10. In particular, theportion of the inner side wall 42 nearest the rear of the enclosure 10,together with a portion of the top wall 46 and a portion of the bottomwall 48, may be separable from the remainder of the air duct 12 (withthe line of separation visible, for example, in FIG. 4C), therebypermitting the two sections of the air duct 12 to be installedseparately. This, in turn, may permit a close fit to be obtained aroundthe rear vertical frame member 20 on the side of the enclosure 10 wherethe air duct 12 is installed, wherein the rear vertical frame member 20fits neatly into the opening 52 in the inner side wall 42.

In another unique feature, perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 3F, openingsin the rear corners (top and bottom) of the outer side wall 44 permitthe offset brackets 18 to pass through the interior of the exhaust duct12 but to still be used to mount the oversized side panel 6 on thatside. The bifurcation of the air duct 12 into a main portion and a rearportion may make it easier to install the air duct 12 within anenclosure 10 without being affected by the offset brackets 18.

As perhaps best seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the inlet opening 36 of theduct 12 includes two vertical flanges 54 and two horizontal flanges 56.The vertical flanges 54 have pre-punched holes 58 that allow a panelassembly 14 to be attached thereto. It is preferred that self-tappingscrews be used to attach the assembly 14 to the flanges 54; however, itwill be understood that any suitable attachment means may be used. It isalso preferred that the exhaust duct 12 be constructed of sheet metal,however, it will be understood that other suitable materials may be usedto construct the duct 12.

With particular reference to the adjustable filler panel assembly 14,FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B show views of various alternativeembodiments of the adjustable filler panel assembly 14 in a first orclose-ended configuration and a second or open-ended configuration,respectively. Each panel assembly 100,200,300, which will be understoodto be a particular implementation of the adjustable filler panelassembly 14 of the present invention, includes respective twooverlapping panels 160,162, 260,262 and 360,362. A first panel160,260,360 includes a plurality of pairs of horizontally alignedadjustment openings 64 and a second panel 162,262,362 includes a singlepair of bolts or other attachment members 66 disposed therethrough foralignment with a particular pair of the adjustment openings 64 of thefirst panel 160,260,360. The pair of attachment members 66 of the secondpanel 162,262,362 are disposed near an open end 68 of the second panel162,262,362. A user can adjust the size of the filler panel assembly 14,and thus the portion of the inlet opening 36 of the duct 12 the fillerpanel assembly 14 covers when mounted therein, by telescoping the panelassembly up or down as appropriate and fastening the panels 60,62together with clamping screws. It will be understood that anyappropriate connection means may be used to connect the panels to oneanother.

As shown in the figures, different sized filler panel assemblyembodiments may be made available and used together to cover differentportions of the same inlet opening 36. Of course, the filler panelassembly 14 may be made available in any size, but in one preferredcommercial implementation, three filler panel assembly embodiments areavailable—a small filler panel assembly 100 (having a height of 2-3standard rack mounting units, or RMU), a medium filler panel assembly200 (4-7 RMU), and a large filler panel assembly 300 (7-15 RMU)—toaccommodate various opening sizes and provide maximum versatility.Accordingly, the individual panels 160,162, 260,262 and 360,362 of theassembly 14 are available in three sizes which correspond to the sizesof the panel assemblies 100,200,300. Reference numeral 14 will be usedwhen the adjustable filler panel assembly is being described generally,and reference numerals 100, 200, and 300 will be used when a specificadjustable filler panel assembly is being described. In addition,reference numerals for the various sizes of panels are as follows: smallpanel assembly first panel 160 and second panel 162, medium panelassembly first panel 260 and second panel 262, and large panel assemblyfirst panel 360 and second panel 362.

With regard to the term “standard rack mounting units” or “RMU,” it iswell known that the vertical dimension of equipment enclosures isfrequently measured in standardized units. The most common unit ofmeasurement is the “rack mounting unit” (“RMU”). According to acceptedstandards, an RMU is defined as 1.75 inches in height. Electricalcomponents as well as accessories, which include horizontal raceways,patch panels, and the like, are also commonly measured in RMUs. Forexample, a 2 RMU component is one which is 3.50 inches or less inheight. Thus, a rack which has 45 RMUs may accommodate components andaccessories totaling 45 RMUs. Further, to conserve space, components andaccessories are frequently installed only at vertical locationscorresponding to a whole number of RMUs in order to avoid interferingwith adjacent components and accessories. Further information about theterm “standard rack mounting units” or “RMU” is available in U.S. Pat.No. 7,119,282 to Krietzman, et al., the entirety of which isincorporated herein by reference.

Accordingly, in at least some embodiments, the pairs of horizontallyaligned adjustment openings 64 in each first panel 160,260,360 arespaced 1 RMU from each other; i.e., each pair of openings 64 is 1 RMUfrom the pair above and/or below it. Furthermore, in at least someembodiments, the lines of holes or apertures 58 in each vertical flange54 are spaced ½ RMU apart; i.e., each aperture 58 is ½ RMU from the oneabove and/or below it. This facilitates the sizing of each assembly100,200,300 in increments of a whole number of RMUs, and adjustment ofeach assembly 100,200,300 in the opening 36 in ½-RMU increments. Suchadjustability advantageously makes it easier to size and align exhaustopenings 40 with equipment on a whole- or half-RMU incremental basis.

In another embodiment (not shown), the plurality of pairs ofhorizontally aligned adjustment openings 64 in each first panel160,260,360 are replaced by a pair of vertical slots, thereby permittingcontinuous length adjustment of the respective assembly 100,200,300.More particularly, the attachment members 66 may be positioned anywherein the vertical slots, i.e., from the tops of the slots to the bottoms,thereby allowing the assembly 100,200,300 to be adjusted exactly to anydesired length, rather than limiting adjustment to one-RMU increments.

Each panel 160,162, 260,262 and 360,362 of each assembly 100,200,300includes a pair of opposing side flanges 70,71, extending from sideedges of the panel 160,162, 260,262 and 360,362 and disposed on oppositeside edges at the closed end 72,73 of the panel 160,162, 260,262 and360,362, and an end flange 74,75, extending from the closed end 72,73 ofthe panel 160,162, 260,262 and 360,362 and disposed in abutting relationwith the pair of side flanges 70,71. The opposing side flanges 70,71 andend flanges 74,75 provide additional rigidity and support to therespective panels 160,162, 260,262 and 360,362 of each assembly100,200,300, which enhances the stability of the enclosure 10. Each sideflange 70,71 has therein at least one elongate slot 76,77, aligned witha corresponding slot 76,77 in the opposite side flange 70,71, forconnection of the panels 160,162, 260,262 and 360,362 to the verticalflanges 54 of the inlet opening 36 of the exhaust duct 12. Utilizingelongate slots 76,77 rather than round openings enables verticaladjustability and versatility in connecting the panels 160,162, 260,262and 360,362 to the exhaust duct 12. In addition, the use of a slottedconnection enables a user to push neighboring panels flush against oneanother to form a seal that minimizes leakage. Also, the slottedconnections allow for slight manufacturing errors to be compensated for.When a panel assembly 14 is installed in the inlet opening 36, it ispreferred that vertical rubber seals 57, further illustrated in FIGS.8-11, are interposed between the vertical flanges 54 of the inletopening 36 of the exhaust duct 12 and the side flanges 70,71 of thepanel assembly 14. The rubber seals 57 help to minimize air leakagesfrom the exhaust duct back into the interior of the cabinet.

In the first panel 160,260,360 of the panel assembly 100,200,300, theside flanges 70 extend substantially the entire length of the sides ofthe panel 60. However, portions 78 of the sides of the panel 160,260,360are left open, i.e., without side flanges 70. The length of each openside portion 78 corresponds to the location of the pair of adjustmentopenings 64 closest to the open end 68 of the panel 160,260,360. Assuch, there are no side flanges 70 aligned with the pair of adjustmentopenings 64 located closest to the open end 68 of the panel 160,260,360.The side flanges 70 of the first panel 160,260,360 of each assembly100,200,300 each include one or more elongate slots 76. In particular,the side flanges 70 of the small sized first panel 160 include a singlepair of elongate slots 76, while the side flanges 70 of the medium andlarge sized first panel 260,360 include a plurality of pairs of elongateslots 76. The particular embodiments shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A and 7Bhave two pairs of elongate slots 76 formed therein.

In the second panel 162,262,362 of the panel assembly 100,200,300, theside flanges 71 are relatively short. The length of the side flanges 71of the second panel 162,262,362 are preferably just long enough toaccommodate the pair of elongate slots 77 thereof, though in someembodiments the side flanges may be longer.

It is preferred that the filler panels 160,162, 260,262 and 360,362 beconstructed of sheet metal, however, it is to be understood thatalternative materials may be used. In fact, the filler panels may bemade of any suitable solid material or non-porous fabric. For example, afield-sized fabric construct or a retractable roll of fabric could bedeveloped to selectively close the inlet opening 36 of the exhaust duct12. Alternatively, the exhaust duct 12 could be constructed withmultiple knock-out openings with or without retrofit filler panels toseal the knock-out openings that are no longer desired.

Each of the illustrated embodiments of the filler panel assembly 14 maybe configured in two ways, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, 6A and 6B, and7A and 7B. FIGS. 5A, 6A and 7A each illustrates a respective fillerpanel assembly 100,200,300 arranged in a first or close-endedconfiguration, while FIGS. 5B, 6B and 7B each illustrate a respectivefiller panel assembly 100,200,300 arranged in a second or open-endedconfiguration. In the close-ended configuration (FIGS. 5A, 6A, 7A), thepair of adjustment openings 64 closest to the open end 68 of the firstpanel 160,260,360 is aligned with and connected to the bolts or otherattachment members 66 of the second panel 162,262,362. As such, the endflange 74 of each respective first panel 160,260,360 is in opposingfacing relation to the end flange 75 in the respective second panel162,262,362, and together the flanges 74,75 form outer end boundaries ofthe respective panel assembly 100,200,300. In this close-endedconfiguration, the end flanges 74,75 are as far apart from one anotheras they can be with the panels 160,162, 260,262 and 360,362 of therespective assembly 100,200,300 being connected. It will be appreciatedthat in this configuration, only a small portion of the panels actuallyoverlap one another. Still further, as shown in FIGS. 5A, 6A, and 7A,the close-ended configuration arranges the end flanges 74,75 of therespective first 160,260,360 and second panels 162,262,362 in a mannersuch that each is positioned along the periphery of the respectiveassembly 100,200,300. In this regard, the end flanges 74,75 reinforcethe overall rigidity and stability of the filler panel assembly100,200,300 when installed.

In the open-ended configuration (FIGS. 5B, 6B, 7B), the second panel162,262,362 is rotated 180 degrees and the first panel 160,260,360 isslid so that it overlaps a substantial portion of the length of thesecond panel 162,262,362. The pair of bolts or other attachment members66 of the second panel 162,262,362 are aligned with and connected to thepair of adjustment openings 64 that are second closest to the open end68 of the first panel 160,260,360. In this configuration, an interiorside 81 of the end flange 75 of the second panel 162,262,362 is inopposing relation with an exterior side 82 of the end flange 74 of thefirst panel 160,260,360. Further, in this configuration, the end flanges74,75 are as close to one another as they can be with the panels160,162, 260,262 and 360,362 of the panel assembly 100,200,300 beingconnected. Furthermore, in the larger sizes of the filler panel assembly200,300, most of the length of the first and second panels 260,262 and360,362 are overlapping one another. Still further, as shown in FIGS.5B, 6B, and 7B, the open end 68 of the panel 160,260,360 extends awayfrom the panel assembly 100,200,300. In this regard, the panel assembly100,200,300 is permitted to be installed at or near the flanges 56 ofthe duct 12, as is perhaps best shown in FIG. 9. Advantageously, whenthe filler panel assembly 100,200,300 is arranged in the open-endedconfiguration, the exposed open end 68 of the first panel 160,260,360permits the filler panel assembly 100,200,300 to be installed withoutthe flanges 56 of the duct 12 otherwise obstructing the installation.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, partially exploded orthogonal view of an upperportion of the electronic equipment enclosure 10 of FIG. 3A,illustrating the installation of a pair of vertical rubber seals 57.Preferably, the vertical rubber seals 57 are installed lengthwise alongthe vertical flanges 54 with the internal duct 12 mounted to the fourpost frame structure 16 but before the panel assemblies 14 are attached.As noted previously, use of such a sealing material helps minimize airleakage into the interior 38 of the enclosure 10 by making contact withthe equipment mounted in the enclosure, thereby closing any gap thatmight otherwise exist between the equipment and the duct 12. A rubberseal 57 suitable for use in the present invention includes a slot thatfits over the edge of the vertical flange 54 and is held in place viafriction, but other rubber seals may be substituted therefore.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, partially exploded orthogonal view of a lowerportion of the electronic equipment enclosure 10 of FIG. 3A,illustrating the installation of the lowermost adjustable filler panelassembly 100. FIG. 9 illustrates the use of the open-ended configurationof one of the panel assemblies 100 when installing the assembly 100 inthe uppermost position or the lowermost position in the inlet opening 36of the exhaust duct 12, thereby avoiding interference between an endflange 74,75 of the assembly 14 and a horizontal flange 56 of the inletopening 36. As will be appreciated, the open-ended configuration of anyof the assemblies 100,200,300 may be particularly suitable for this use.More particularly, the respective assemblies 100,200,300 may beparticularly suitable for use in the uppermost position in the inletopening 36 when oriented as shown in FIGS. 5B, 6B and 7B, while the sameassemblies 100,200,300 may be particularly suitable for use in thelowermost position in the inlet opening 36 when turned upside downrelative to the orientation shown in FIGS. 5B, 6B and 7B. For example,in FIG. 9, the small filler panel assembly 100 of FIG. 5B is turnedupside down and fasteners are inserted through the slots 76,77 in thepanels 160,162 and selected apertures 58 in the vertical flanges 54, andthe panels 160,162 are attached to one another with fasteners.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, partially exploded orthogonal view of a lowerportion of the electronic equipment enclosure 10 of FIG. 3A,illustrating the installation of another adjustable filler panelassembly 200. This panel assembly 200, which is of the size shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B, is installed in its more conventional close-endedconfiguration, i.e., the configuration of FIG. 7A. As with the panel ofFIG. 9, fasteners are inserted through the slots 76,77 in the panels260,262 and selected apertures 58 in the vertical flanges 54, and thepanels 260,262 are attached to one another with fasteners.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary, partially exploded orthogonal view of a lowerportion of the electronic equipment enclosure 10 of FIG. 3A,illustrating the installation of a pair of horizontal rubber seals 59.Preferably, the horizontal rubber seals 59 are installed lengthwise asnecessary along selected end flanges 74,75 of the assemblies 14 once thepanel assemblies 14 are attached. As noted previously, use of such asealing material helps minimize air leakage into the interior 38 of theenclosure 10 by making contact with the equipment mounted in theenclosure, thereby closing any gap that might otherwise exist betweenthe equipment and the duct 12. A rubber seal 59 suitable for use in thepresent invention includes a slot that fits over the edge of the endflanges 74,75 and is held in place via friction, but other rubber sealsmay be substituted therefore. A rubber seal 59 is shown in place on theupper flange 74 of the lower adjustable panel assembly in FIG. 10.

The internal air duct 12 and the filler panel assemblies 14 are used asfollows. The air duct 12 is installed in an enclosure such as theenclosure 10 with the extension kit installed thereon that isillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A piece of equipment or a number of piecesof equipment, typically (though not necessarily) with side-locatedexhaust grilles, are to be mounted inside the four post frame structure16 of the enclosure 10. The side of the enclosure 10 opposite that ofthe exhaust grilles may be used to supply cool air to the equipment.Based on the location of the various pieces of equipment, and moreparticularly, their exhaust grilles, one or more adjustable filler panelassemblies 14 are configured and sized as desired and installed in theexhaust duct inlet 36 in the vicinity of the exhaust grilles to routeexhaust air from the equipment into the exhaust duct 12 and to prohibitexhaust air from returning to the interior 38 of the enclosure 10. Ifthe equipment is moved to a different position within the enclosure 10,the adjustable filler assemblies 14 may simply be detached from theexhaust duct inlet 36, adjusted accordingly, and reattached. If any ofthe equipment is moved or replaced with equipment having a differentlysized exhaust grille, the adjustable filler assemblies 14 may beadjusted accordingly by adjusting the size of one or more of theassemblies 14 or by using a differently sized assembly 14 to accommodatethe size of the new equipment. Advantageously, the enclosure 10 does nothave to be dismantled to replace or move an individual exhaust duct 12when a new piece of equipment is added or when the existing equipment ismoved to a different location in the enclosure 10, as is presently thesituation.

Various advantages of the present invention may be appreciated bycomparison of the present invention with the conventional solution tothe problem of controlled heat exhaust. Prior to the development of thepresent invention, an individual exhaust duct was utilized for eachpiece of equipment from which air was being exhausted. The exhaust ductwas sized to fit the exhaust grille of the particular piece ofequipment. This resulted in exhaust ducts of many different sizes. If anew or different piece of equipment was desired, a new or differentexhaust duct also had to be used. In addition to being inefficient froma supply perspective, installing a new or different exhaust duct everytime a new or different piece of equipment was placed in the enclosurewas inefficient from an operational perspective. With this prior artdesign, the enclosure had to be at least partially disassembled toremove and replace the exhaust duct that fit the previously used pieceof equipment. Even if the piece of equipment was not being removed, butonly being moved to a different location within the enclosure, theenclosure had to be at least partially disassembled to also move theassociated exhaust duct. Such disassembly was time consuming andincreased operational down time. An additional drawback of theconventional system was the size of the exhaust ducts being utilized.The relatively small size of those exhaust ducts created limitedcross-sectional area through which exhaust air could flow and thus oftenresulted in air flow impedance in the exhaust duct. Reduced exhaust airflow can result in increased operating temperatures within theparticular piece of equipment, which is detrimental to the equipment.With the present invention, an exhaust duct that extends substantiallythe entire height of the enclosure may be utilized, thus providingsignificantly more cross-sectional area through which exhaust air mayflow thus reducing potential impedance and reducing operatingtemperatures of the equipment exhausting air.

Based on the foregoing information, it is readily understood by thosepersons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible ofbroad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of thepresent invention other than those specifically described herein, aswell as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements,will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present inventionand the foregoing descriptions thereof, without departing from thesubstance or scope of the present invention.

Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein indetail in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understoodthat this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the presentinvention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full andenabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is notintended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwiseexclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations,modifications or equivalent arrangements; the present invention beinglimited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic equipment enclosure comprising: (a)a frame structure for supporting electronic equipment through which airflows in a side-to-side direction; (b) one or more enclosure panelsmounted on the frame structure, the frame structure and the one or moreenclosure panels together defining an enclosure; (c) an exhaust ducthaving an air inlet opening to receive air exhausted from the equipmentand an air outlet opening to exhaust air from the enclosure; and (d) abarrier for selectively blocking a portion of the air inlet opening inorder to prevent air exhausted into the duct from flowing back into theenclosure, the barrier including a plurality of panels that define anair inlet gap through which air flows into the exhaust duct; (e) whereinthe air inlet gap is defined by a first panel of the plurality of panelsalong an upper edge thereof and a second panel of the plurality ofpanels along a lower edge thereof, each of the first and second panelsincluding a flange extending along at least a portion of a horizontaledge that abuts the air inlet gap; (f) wherein the first panel and thesecond panel are adjustable relative to one another so as to provide theair inlet gap with an adjustable height, wherein the flange of the firstpanel is disposed along the bottom of the first panel, and wherein thesecond panel is rotated 180 degrees relative to the first panel suchthat the flange of the second panel is disposed along the top of thesecond panel; and wherein air is routable: (i) in a side-to-sidedirection through electronic equipment supported in the enclosure andinto the exhaust duct via the air inlet gap; and (ii) through theexhaust duct and out of the enclosure via the air outlet opening.
 2. Theelectronic equipment enclosure of claim 1, wherein the exhaust ductextends substantially the height of the enclosure.
 3. The electronicequipment enclosure of claim 1, wherein the exhaust duct extends aportion of the height of the enclosure.
 4. The electronic equipmentenclosure of claim 1, wherein the exhaust duct is disposed internallyrelative to the one or more enclosure panels.
 5. The electronicequipment enclosure of claim 4, wherein the exhaust duct is generallybox-like in shape.
 6. The electronic equipment enclosure of claim 1,wherein the air outlet opening of the exhaust duct is located at therear of the enclosure.
 7. An electronic equipment enclosure comprising:(a) a frame structure for supporting electronic equipment through whichair flows in a side-to-side direction; (b) one or more enclosure panelsmounted on the frame structure, the frame structure and the one or moreenclosure panels together defining an enclosure; (c) an exhaust ductdisposed internally relative to the one or more enclosure panels, theexhaust duct having an air inlet opening to receive air exhausted fromthe equipment and an air outlet opening to exhaust air from the rear ofthe enclosure; and (d) a barrier for selectively blocking a portion ofthe air inlet opening in order to prevent air exhausted into the ductfrom flowing back into the enclosure, the barrier including a pluralityof panels that define an air inlet gap through which air flows into theexhaust duct; (e) wherein the air inlet gap is defined by a first panelof the plurality of panels along an upper edge thereof and a secondpanel of the plurality of panels along a lower edge thereof, each of thefirst and second panels including a flange extending along at least aportion of a horizontal edge that abuts the air inlet gap; (f) wherein asealing element is attached along each flange and is adapted to providea seal against electronic equipment mounted in the frame structure; (g)wherein the first panel and the second panel are adjustable relative toone another so as to provide the air inlet gap with an adjustableheight, wherein the flange of the first panel is disposed along thebottom of the first panel, and wherein the second panel is rotated 180degrees relative to the first panel such that the flange of the secondpanel is disposed along the top of the second panel; and (h) wherein airis routable: (i) in a side-to-side direction through electronicequipment supported in the enclosure and into the exhaust duct via theair inlet gap; and (ii) through the exhaust duct and out of theenclosure via the air outlet opening.
 8. The electronic equipmentenclosure of claim 7, wherein the exhaust duct extends substantially theheight of the enclosure.
 9. The electronic equipment enclosure of claim7, wherein the exhaust duct extends a portion of the height of theenclosure.
 10. The electronic equipment enclosure of claim 7, whereinthe exhaust duct is generally box-like in shape.